Astroturfing the Obama campaign

Is a large PR firm connected to the Obama campaign spreading false rumors about Gov. Sarah Palin in a way that appears to be a grassroots effort? Rusty Shackleford thinks so, and presents a compelling case against Winner & Associates and Obama's chief media strategist David Axelrod.

Hope, Change, & Lies: Orchestrated "Grassroots" Smear Campaigns & the People that Run Them

Extensive research was conducted by the Jawa Report to determine the source of smears directed toward Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Those smears included false allegations that she belonged to a secessionist political party and that she has radical anti-American views.

Our research suggests that a subdivision of one of the largest public relations firms in the world most likely started and promulgated rumors about Sarah Palin that were known to be false. These rumors were spread in a surreptitious manner to avoid exposure.

It is also likely that the PR firm was paid by outside sources to run the smear campaign. While not conclusive, evidence suggests a link to the Barack Obama campaign.

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Technorati tags: Obama, Astroturfing, David Axelrod, netroots